Paper file and binder.



PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

H. G. WHITMORE.

PAPER FILE AND BINDER.

APPLIOATIOR FILED APR. 21, 1902.

K0 MODEL.

//v VENIV'OR ITNESSES 1 LATTORNEK UNiTEo STATES PATENT OEEIQE.

HORACE G. l/VHITMORE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

PAPER FILE AND BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,787, dated January6, 1903.

Application filed April 21, 1902.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it kn own that I, HORACE G. WHITMORE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper Files and Binders;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to paper files and binders wherein it is desired tofile papers of any kind in regular order and have the same accessibleand removable at any time, but securely held against accidentaldisplacement.

The invention consists in the novel shaping of a wire which forms theessential part.

of my file and binder and the manner of placing the same upon the backboard of the file proper.

It consists also in certain other novel combinations and arrangements ofparts, as will be more fully described hereinafter and as shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which I Figure l is a perspective View of myimproved file and binder, portions being broken away to more clearlyshow the parts. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe wire used in thebinder, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of thebinder on a plane cutting through the rear edge of the backing and coverand through the binding-strip alongside one of the wire loops.

The wire mentioned consists of a straight central portion 1, the endsthereof being bent at substantially right angles thereto and again bent,forming, with the return portions 3, small loops 4. From the ends of thereturn-bends 3 are upwardly-extending portions 5, which curve overbackwardly and have downwardly-extending ends 6, which are slightly bentat their points '7. and hook normally into the loops 4. On long files ahook 8 is formed at the central part of the straight portion 1, as shownin Fig. 2. On shorter files this hook may be omitted, while on files ofextra length two or more of said hooks may be formed at suitableintervals along the straight Wire portionl. The use of this wire informing a file is shown in Serial No. 104,069. (No model.)

Figs. 1 and 3. A piece of cardboard or other suitable material 9 of theproper size is inserted in the hook S and between the ends,2 of the wireand return-bends 3 thereof, which are so formed that the board will beheld between the same with a slight spring tension. A binding-strip 10,preferably of some pliable material, such as soft leather, is thenpasted to the backing 9, so that said binding-strip covers the straightportions 1 of the wire, a part of the bent ends 2, and the lower part ofthe hook 8, thus holding the wire securely to the backing.

It will be noted that the loops 4 extend slightly beyond the rear edgeof the backing and that the return-bends 3 and loop formed by theupright portions 5 and 6 are above the backing. The extending edge ofthe bindlug-strip 10 has small holes made therein, through which theloops 4 may extend. A cover 11 is pasted to the binding-strip and smallholes made therein, through which the ends 6 are passed by unhooking thecurved points 7 from the loops 4, as shown at one end of the wire inFig. 2, then passing said points through said holes 12 of the cover, andagain hooking said points in the loops 4.

In using the file thus formed the sheets to be inserted are perforatedat points corresponding with the position of the loops formed by thewire portions 5 and 6, the curved points 7 are unhooked from the loops4, and the cover 11 is turned backward and detached from the uprightwire portions 6. The sheets are then slipped onto the loops formed bythe wire portions 5 and 6, and the cover 11 is replaced as described.

If desired for use as a temporary binder or file, the cover 11 may bedispensed with, in which case the binding-strip need not extend beyondthe rear edge of the backing.

For some purposes the backing 9 may be omitted and the papers placed onthe loops formed by the wire portions 5 and 6 in the manner described,in which case the hook may be used to hang up the file, which, in thisinstance, will consist of the wire member only.

From theforegoing it may be observed that the invention provides abinder, simple and economical of construction, upon which papers may beplaced temporarily or permanently and securely held, and while I havesimply described the construction of the various parts of the device itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that some of the parts maybe changed in construction or dimensions without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Abinderor file for sheets of paper, comprising a straight portion,arms bent at substantially right angles formed at the ends of thestraight portions, return-bends substantially parallel with said arms,and reaching back to the straight portion, and loops consisting ofportions bent upwardly from the inner ends of the return-bends andcurved rearwardly and then downwardly, substantially as described.

2. A binder or file fol-sheets of paper, comprising a straight portion,arms at substantially right angles formed at the ends of the straightportions, return-bends substantially parallel with said arms andreaching back to the straight portion, loops consisting of portions bentupwardly from the inner ends of said return-bends and curved rearwardlythen downwardly, and hooks formed in the straight portions with theirmembers substantially parallel with the bent arms and return-bends,substantially as described.

3. A paper file or binder having a suitable backing and a wire membercomprising a straight portion, annular arms and returnbends engaging andclamping the edge of said backing, and loops formed integral with thesaid wire and return-bends, said loops extending above the edge of thebacking and comprising a portion bent upwardly, rearwardly anddownwardly from the inner end of the return-bend adjacent to thestraight portion of the wire, substantially as described.

4. A paper file or hinder comprising a suitable backing, a straight wireportion having its ends bent at substantially right angles therewith andreturned thereto, loops integral with said wire and lying in a planeperpendicular thereto, and one or more hooks formed on said straightwire portion, substantially as described.

5. A file or binder for sheets of paper, comprising a substantiallystraight wire portion, arms integral with said straight portion bent atsubstantially right angles therewith and returned thereto, loops lyingin a plane parallel to the said arms, and curved ends on said loopsadapted to hook into the said arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HORACE G. WHITMORE.

WVitnesses:

D. O. BARNELL, JNo. T. BURK.

